Santa Fe

Things to do in Santa Fe

Santa Fe is truly a town for everyone with sweeping outdoor expanses that attract thrill-seeking adventurers and lovely art galleries and folk festivals that cater to a more subdued crowd. There are things to do in Santa Fe no matter what kind of traveler you are. Nature buffs should head to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and admire the stunning trails that tempt hikers and trail runners with their clean alpine air and sparkling views. Hotels can arrange for horseback riding, mountain biking, skiing, white water rafting on the Rio Grande and Chama Rivers.

For more relaxing things to do in Santa Fe, travelers can spend days wandering through the more than 250 art galleries that showcase some of the finest artists in America. Canyon Road, the cluster of adobes that make up the bustling main street in town, have around 80 galleries to look at, but there are many smaller neighborhoods that offer less foot traffic during your art excursions, like the Railyard District. If you’ve exhausted your art gallery list in town and are still wondering what to do in Santa Fe, rent a car and drive 90-minutes up to Taos, NM. Taos has made its name as a quirky town of artists and writers who’ve fled to the gorgeous mountain town for inspiration.

All year there will be moments of enchantment in Santa Fe, it’s just in the nature of New Mexico. Winter travelers can witness the magical farolitos, candles in paper lanterns that line the streets at night. Cars are cleared off the streets and the crisp smell of piñón wood lingers on the air. Check out the list below for the best of what to do in Santa Fe.

Watch seasoned politicos and newspaper reporters dish local dirt at this legendary, retro-swish cocktail lounge, replete with Naugahyde booths and a copper-top bar (check out the collection of novelty liquor bottles, shaped like everything from wild turkeys to rugged cowboys).

The iconic Pink Adobe restaurant, which is housed in a 400-year-old building and has been going strong since 1944, has one undeniably wonderful thing going for it: the always-packed Dragon Room lounge.